The Postal Service tightens mail-in voting rules as Trump battles in court
The new rules reflect some provisions of the executive order signed by the president in early 2026, requiring more information about voters who receive ballots and new mechanisms for tracking mail.
A California resident casting his mail-in ballot/ Carlos Moreno
The United States Postal Service (USPS) finalized a new regulation governing the handling of absentee ballots ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, even though federal courts blocked similar measures pushed by President Donald Trump.
The new rules reflect some provisions of the executive order signed by the president in early 2026, requiring more information about voters who receive ballots and new mechanisms for tracking mail-in ballots.
Specifically, the 95-page regulation establishes a system under which states must notify the USPS if they intend to use the mail to distribute ballots and, subsequently, provide information about the voters who will receive those mailings. The new rules are expected to be officially published in the Federal Register on August 26.
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The Postal Service's decision to move forward with the new rules comes as the Trump administration continues its legal battle to implement the measures.
In March, the president signed an executive order directing various federal agencies to collaborate to verify voter eligibility and strengthen controls over the distribution of mail-in ballots.
Among other things, he instructed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration to compile lists of citizens eligible to vote, ordered the Postal Service to implement tracking and security systems for mail-in ballots, and authorized the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prioritize investigations related to the issuance of ballots to individuals deemed ineligible.
In late July, a Federal Court of Appeals upheld a preliminary injunction preventing the administration from enforcing those provisions while litigation brought by a coalition of 23 states and the District of Columbia continues. Subsequently, President Trump asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the case.
The Postal Service's decision to finalize and publish its own regulation comes as the Trump administration continues its legal battle to implement the executive order's provisions.
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